For thirty years we have supported local traditional production methods and sourced supplies directly from local producers: cooperatives in Haute-Provence for AOC lavender essential oil, cooperatives and the oil mill in Gard for almond oil, the Château d’Estoublon in the Baux de Provence valley for AOC olive oil, a distiller-producer in Corsica for immortelle essential oil, and women's groups in Burkina Faso for shea butter.

REVIVING FORGOTTEN CULTIVATIONS

We contribute to reviving 'forgotten' cultivations by supporting the program to cultivate almond trees in the Alps of Haute-Provence. We preserve certain rare species through the planting of our own field of immortelle flowers in Corsica. We work in partnership with organizations that support the development of scented and aromatic plants (ONIPPAM (1)) and contribute to promoting traditional cultivation, particularly of lavender - such as our lavender field promotion (Place des Vosges, Paris, in 2001; Rockefeller Center, New York, in 2005; the Grande Place in Brussels, the Jardins des Senteurs at the Palais Royal du Louvre and Cité des Sciences in Paris, in 2006).

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

For over 20 years, we have sourced our shea butter from several women's groups in Burkina Faso. We buy this product at a fair price. This price covers the production costs, including environmental and social costs. It leaves a margin for investment and promotes sustainable development. We provide 50% prefinancing for our orders to perpetuate the system.

AN ORGANIC, ETHICAL APPROACH

We have kept in step with the development of the Organic Cosmetics specifications of Ecocert (2), an independent certification body, and belong to the Cosmebio (3) association. Our products are not tested on animals (we are on the One Voice (4) list of companies that do not test their product on animals).

AN ECOLOGICAL APPROACH

Our concern for the environment has led to the use of environmentally friendly packaging and a minimum amount of unnecessary packing material. For our products, our gift wrapping and our communication materials, we strive to use paper or cardboard based on an ecological approach:  kraft paper produced from the cleaning up of the Landes forest, paper bearing the Ecolabel, recycled paper or cardboard, recycled paper produced with seaweed from the Venice lagoon. This concern has also led to the development of a 'clean factory'.

SUPPORT FOR THE SIGHT-IMPAIRED

Our products stimulate the senses: the sense of sight through the warm and welcoming colors of our boutiques and packaging; the sense of touch through the raw and noble ingredients we use and the unique, sensual textures of our products; the sense of smell through our different scents; the sense of hearing through the stories behind our ingredients and the traditions of Provence, told in our boutiques.
This is why we particularly empathize with sensory disabilities. As a sign of our support for the sight-impaired, we make a yearly contribution to the NGO ORBIS (5). Braille* labeling can be found on the packaging of our most popular products, to give the visually impaired access to them. This is also a way to raise awareness of this disability among all of our consumers. 

* in English, so that it is understood by the greatest number of consumers.

(1) ONIPPAM: Office National Interprofessionnel des Plantes à Parfum, Aromatiques et Médicinales [French interprofessional association for scented, aromatic and medicinal plants]. This association monitors developments in the production and markets of scented, aromatic and medicinal plants. It also organizes and supports actions to promote their development and products that result from the initial processing of such plants (essential oils, floral waters, extracts, dried plants, etc).

www.onippam.fr

(2) ECOCERT: European certification and inspection body for organic cosmetic products.

http://www.ecocert.com/?lang=en

(3) Cosmebio: professional association for the ecological and organic cosmetics sector.

(4) One Voice: French branch of the European coalition to put an end to animal experiments.

www.onevoice-ear.org

(5) ORBIS: non-governmental organization that fights blindness in developing countries through training, prevention and care.

www.orbis.org